Official Blog of Author MICHAEL THOMAS BARRY.
A blog which discusses varied topics that are related to the authors many books. Michael is a columnist for CrimeMagazine.com and a reviewer for the New York Journal of Books.
Questions or comments can be sent to ocauthor6434@gmail.com

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Roald Dahl was Born (September 13, 1916)

On this date in English literary history - September 13, 1916,
Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory (1964) and James
and the Giant Peach (1961) was born in South Wales. Dahl's childhood was
filled with tragedy. His father and sister died when he was three, and he was
later brutally abused at his boarding school. After high school, he traveled
widely, joining an expedition to Newfoundland and later working in Tanzania. In
World War II, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a fighter pilot. He flew
missions in Libya, Greece, and Syria, and was shot down in the Libya, suffering
serious injuries. After he recovered, Dahl was sent to Washington, D.C., as an attaché’.
There, the writer C.S. Forester suggested he write about his war experiences,
and 10 days later Dahl had his first publication, in the Saturday Evening Post.
Dahl wrote his first book, The Gremlins,
for Walt Disney, in 1943, and the story was later made into a Disney film. He
wrote several popular adult books, including Someone Like You (1953) and Kiss
Kiss (1959), and began writing stories for his own four children in 1960. James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory became
bestsellers. Dahl did most of his writing on the family farm, writing two hours
every morning, two hours every afternoon, and tending to the animals in
between. He was divorced from his wife, Oscar-winning actress Patricia Neal, in
1983, and remarried. He died in 1990 at age 74.

Michael Thomas Barry is the author of numerous books that
include the gold medal winning Literary
Legends of the British Isles: The Lives and Burial Places of 50 Great Writers.
Visit Michael’s website www.michaelthomasbarry.com
for more information. The book can be purchased from Powell’s Books, Barnes and
Noble, Amazon and other fine book sellers. Click on the link below to order.